Pakistan says 307,501 have fled tribal region

Jun. 21, 2014
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An Internally Displaced Pakistan woman from the North Waziristan tribal region carries her sick child on arrival at the Women and Children Hospital in Bannu on June 21, 2014. Pakistani helicopter gunships pounded militant targets in the country's northwest, killing up to 30 rebels as the number of civilians fleeing an expected ground offensive passed 200,000. / A MAJEED AFP/Getty Images

by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - A Pakistani government official says the number of people who have fled a tribal area bordering Afghanistan where the army is fighting militants has risen to 307,501.

Senior official Arbab Muhammad Arif said Saturday that since Wednesday, 25,242 families had left the area and registered at checkpoints along the way.

Arif says the figure includes 62,000 people who left the area of operations before June 18. He says displaced families were provided with food, drinks and 5,000 rupees ($50) per family.

The Pakistani army launched a long-awaited operation against foreign and local militants in North Waziristan on June 15. It claims to have killed 262 militants and destroyed scores of their hideouts so far.

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